After all these years
by Errol's Feather
Summary: Grissom is in town and has asked Catherine to join him for dinner so they can catch up.


_**Author's Note: **_I know the title is not the best, but it was the only thing I could think of :o( I know this is not a Christmas story, but it's something I had saved for a special occasion, so I figured I would post it up now. Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas.

_**Disclaimer: **_I don't own CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and I don't make any money from it.

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_**After all these years**_

"So tell me bugman, how are you really?" Catherine asked, taking a sip of her drink, looking over at her friend, it seemed like forever ago since they had dinner together last. Which was why she had been so gladly surprised when he had asked her out for dinner a few nights earlier.

"Where do you want me to start, my beautiful ladybug?" he said with a heavy sigh. Oh how he had missed her, to be able to talk to her every single day, to see how her clear blue eyes sparkled like saphires.

"From the beginning, why are you back after all this time, are you moving in with Sara and settling down?" she asked with a frown, she couldn't picture him doing that for some odd reason.

"I'm here to sign the divorce papers, I think we both knew it headed in that direction for some time now. Don't worry we're parting on friendly terms. I am however settling down here," he said and smiled vaguely at her.

"She was too young for you, wasn't she?" said Catherine in a soft tone.

"Maybe, what about you then, dropping out of the crime lab to join the FBI, I take it Lou was thrilled?" he teased her.

"He wasn't for me, he wanted to commit, I didn't," she said in a not up for discussion way.

Grissom frowned a bit surprised by this saying, "That doesn't sound like the Catherine Willows I used to know, always thought you wanted someone stabile, a father figure for the little butterfly."

Catherine was about to snap something back when she felt her phone was vibrating in her pocket, she took it up, seeing it was Lindsey and said, "I have to take this, be right back." He nodded without asking as she got up.

Once she was out by the ladies room, she picked up saying, "My little butterfly, how are you?"

"Mom, you okay, you seem a bit stressed," said Lindsey, as her mother's voice didn't seem as calm and gathered as usual.

"Just having dinner with Grissom, that's all. So how are you?" Catherine asked again, more to avoid more questions than anything else.

"Since when did the bugman come back to town? And I'm fine, I was thinking of maybe coming home this weekend, would that be okay are are you too busy with work?" she asked.

"A couple of days ago, he just dropped the bomb he's getting divorced and moving back, and this weekend is fine," Catherine answered.

"He's getting divoced, that's great! Now you can finally get together like you always wanted," said Lindsey excitedly.

"I never said or implyed that I wanted that, we're just good friends," Catherine objected strongly.

"Oh so that's why you got so upset when you found he had gone after Sara and married her, and why you never wanted to get serious with Vartann. Admit it mom, you always wanted him," said Lindsey.

"I don't wiht to hear more of this nonsense, and I have to get back, or he'll start to wonder," she snapped before hanging up, and walked back to the table.

"Everything okay?" he asked, when she sat down by the table, she seemed rather upset.

"Just Lindsey," she said, not knowing what upset her more, her daughter's rightful words or Grissom's right before she called.

"Really, how is the little butterfly?" he asked, looking at her with wondering eyes.

"Except for the fact she's driving her poor mother to insanity, she's fine and coming home this weekend," Catherine answered.

"Really, maybe I could take you both out to dinner," he said, smiling at her, as he longed to see Lindsey as well.

"God Grissom, you can't drag me to dinner, drop this bomb on me and pretend all is fine, have you any idea how much you screwed me up when you left?" she snapped at him, before even thinking it through.

He looked at her with calm eyes, used to her tantrums back in the day, he knew this set of news would usually bring on one also. He simply asked, "Then why didn't you say anything back then?"

"What would you have liked me to say then? Stop having a midlife crises and stay with me because I need you," she almost spat at him.

"Something like that yes if that was how you truly felt," he said.

"It probably wouldn't have changed a thing," she said.

"It might have," he said as the waiter camed over asking, "Ready to order?"

"Yes I'll heave the grilled salmon on a sea of vegtables, with a glass of the house white wine," said Catherine and looked at Grissome that said, "I'll have the same and bring the bottle, please."

The waiter nodded and left as Grissom turned to Catherine and said, "It was always you, Cath, but I took it you weren't interested and went after Sara."

"Why didn't you ever say anything insead of driving me up the wall?" she asked, her tone was much softer now.

"You were with Ed and after... I didn't think you wanted me," he said with a heavy sigh.

"Ed, the only good think that came from that was Linds," said Catherine," sighing heavily, thinking back.

"Your little trouble maker," he said with a chuckle.

"Our little butterfly," she whispered and leaned over the table to kiss him. Grissom simply let her, after all it was the least he could do after waiting for her for that long. He knew for a fact they would go home together, but for now dinner was waiting.

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It was early morning Lindsey Willows were to recieve a text from her mother saying, "I think I can finally say I am happy, after last night all seems to be falling into place, we're looking forward to seeing you this weekend. Love mom."

The young woman simply just smiled, finally she might get what she had wanted for all this years, a family and a father that loved both her and her mother.

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Thank you for reading, feedback is always most welcome :o)


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